Self-acting and self-regulating brake mechanism.



C. F. PARKER. SELF ACTING- AND SELF REGULATING BRAKE MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21., 19.14.

Patented Sept 19M.

t trurnn CLYDE F. PARKER, OF EOB'LLAND, OREGON.

SELF-ACTING AND SELF-BEG'ULATING BRAKE MECHANISM.

Lllimoih Specification of Letters iatent.

Application filed March 21, 1914.

in the lowering of lit e boats from vessels atrsea.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means, including a peculiarly ar'anged brake mechanism, that can be under absolute con trol of one person stationed at the winch at a distance from the same or in the boat, the lowering of which is controlled by the said means. In the lowering of life boats, the great danger encountered, when lowering them under unfavorable conditions, has been the inability of. two men to lower the boat evenly into the water, they being usually unable to lower the boat rapidly at the proper moment, often by reason of the lowering lines or falls getting fouled.

One of the purposes of my invention is to provide a means especially adapted fol lowering life boats in which special provision is made for keeping the lines or falls clear and free to run at all times, and in which the brake devices are so constructed that the greater thestrain on the falls, the tighter the brake band isheld applied.

With other objects in view that will hercinafter appear, my invention comprises a brake mechanism that embodies the peculiar features of construction and novel arrangement of the parts hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in. the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of. the same on the line 33 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a detail perspective view of the knuckle lever hereinafter referred to. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the hand controlled or brake releasing knuckle lever.

In the practical arrangement or my invention, and in its simplest form, the same embodies a main or supporting frame which includes the opposite side members 1.-1, the upper ends of which have journal bearings 10 for the journals of double drum formed with a central annular brake band receiving flange 3, around which takes the brake band il, one end of which, through the medium of the cross pin 5, connects with one end oi a knuckle or hell crank lever 6 fixedly mounted on a cross shaft 7 journaled in hearings 8-45 on the side frame members 1, one end being extended and provided with a hand lever 9.

One end 61 of the bell crank lever 6 is bifurcated and straddles a cross pin 11 mounted in one arm 12 of another hell crank or knuckle lever 13, the other arm l i oi which carries a cross pin 15, to which the other end of: the brake band is connected as is best shown in Fig. 4;, by reference to which it will be also noticed the knuckle lever is formed oftwo opposing sections each of which terminates in an outwardly and downwardly carried lever arm 15, and the said arms each have a series of vertically alined apertures 16, the purpose of which will presently appear. Cooperating with the two drum sections, is a pair of sheaves 1'T17 mounted on a single cross shaft 18 journaled in bearing brackets 19 adjustably mounted. on the pendent arms or levers 15.

2020 designate a pair oi cables or falls, one for each drum section, one end of each of which is made last to its respective drum section and passes from the drum back over its respective sheave 17 from whence it passes out to connect with the object to be raised and lowered, it being understood that when utilized for raising and lowering boats, the falls or are passed over suitable guides, separated, and made fast to the boat in the manner in which the falls are usually connected to the said boats. One end of the double drum shaft carries a hoisting gear 28 that meshes with a pinion with which the hoisting crank c0nnects.

By reason of the peculiar constructioi'i and novel arrangement of the parts, as shown and described, it will be readily apparent the cables or falls will remain clear and free to run at all times. Furthermore, so soon as strain is applied to the falls or cables, as in lowering a boat, my device becomes a selfbraking one, since the pull strain on the falls (see arrow) causes the lever arms to rock in the direction indicated by the arrow at, which pulls taut that end of the band attachedto knuckle lever 14, and simultaneously, by rocking the other knuckle or bell crank lever, in the direction of the arrow 6, pulls the corresponding end of the band taut, it being obvious that the greater the pull on the falls, the tighter the brake band is set up, which band can only be released to allow the drum and the falls to further run free by shifting the hand lever, which may be done by a person adjacent the winch or drum, by a person some distance away, by means of a rope connection or by an occu- I pant of the boat being lowered by a rope connection, it being understood that so soon as the pull strain on the hand lever is released the locking of the brake band is again instantly set up, by the automatic shifting action of the knuckle levers.

By reason of cooperatively arranging the several parts, as shown and described, a selfbraking action is set up immediately there is a pull strain on the falls and the outfeed of the falls caused to cease until the knuckle levers that apply the brake are shifted to free the brake band, it being obvious'that the extent of time that the band is held free is determined by the hand lever control.

What'l claim is:

1. In a brake mechanism, a brake drum, a brake band around the drum, a knuckle lever device connecting the ends of the brake band, and a separate operating member connected one with each of two of the elements of the knuckle lever device. 12. In a brake mechanism for cable carrying drums, the combination with the cable drum having a brake surface; of a brake band taking around the said surface, a knuckle lever device connecting the ends of the brake band, and an operative connection between the said cable and one of the elements of the knuckle lever device for tightening the brake band according to the tension on the cable.

In a brake mechanism for cable carrying drums, the combination with the cable drum having a brake surface; of a brake band taking around the said surface, a

knuckle lever device connecting the-ends of, 4 g

the brake band, an operative connection between the said cable and one of the elements of the knuckle lever device for tightening the brake band according to the tension on the cable, and a separatecontrolling member connected with the knuckle lever device for actuating the brake band inde-' f pendently of the aforementioned operative connection.

4. In a brake mechanism of the character, Y

the drum flange, the ends of which sepa rately join with'the two bell crank levers, a

cable guideion one of the bellcrank levers around which takesthe cable as it passes from the drum, said device operating to apply the brake band when tension is on the cable, and manually operated means for shifting the device to overcome the tension on the cable to release the drum. 7 i

5. In a brake mech ni mot the character stated, a hoisting drum having a central annular brake band receiving flange, a sepa-v rate cable connected to each end of the drum, a I

a device consisting of a pair of hell crank levers, one of which has pendentforked exr, v

tensions, a brake band aroundvthe drum flangesone end of which connects to one bell crank lever, and the other .end to the other bell crank lever, one of the bell crank levers including a forked member that interengages with one element of the other bell.

crank lever, cablesheaves mounted on the aforesaid pendent forked extensions, over. which the cables from the drum pass, and

which form the pulling element for shifting the said devicesto apply" the brake band when tension is on the cables, and a hand lever connected with the bell crank lever having the .forked memberfor rocking the said crank lever to shift the said devices to release the brake.

Witnesses:

J. 'A. Srnownninen, EDNA J. MURPHY.

CLYDE r. PARKER. a 

